FAQ Section

Made in USA VS. Offshore Cable

[Q] Is there any difference in quality between CAT 5 and CAT 5e patch and crossover cables made in the
USA, and those that are made overseas and shipped to this country?

[A] Absolutely. Testing of patch and crossover cables produced at
many offshore locations, have shown that there is a very good
reason that they price these "bargain" cables as low
as they do. Performance data collected on each type of cable
revealed that the cheaper inferior material, produces equally
inferior results when a data signal is sent through the cable.
The cheaper material was found to produce a weaker signal, and
allowed a greater amount of cross-talk and signal noise. Also,
the quality control measures used in the production of these
cables is often a partial check of 1% to 5% of the actual production
total. The leaves quite a wide margin for error and increases
your chance of receiving a cable that will not work. At CAT
5 Cable Company, all of our cables are made by hand, and EVERY
CABLE is tested by a technician to ensure that is operates correctly
for you.

There
is a trend among some builders and installers to use the "cheapest
thing they can find" in an effort to save as much money
as they can on the job, while bidding based on using a high
quality material. Some people have the opinion that "a
cable is a cable". Nothing could be further from the truth.
The next time someone tries to sell you a cheap cable, ask them
who makes the raw CAT5e material, and the RJ45 plugs. If they
say: "They are produced offshore, there is no brand",
it would be a good idea to look elsewhere else.

The
bottom line is: You get what you pay for. You are not really
saving any money if you have to buy it again later.